The Tampa Bay Rays gave it the ol’ college try at the trade deadline. They made moves that attempted to improve the short and long-term outlook of the franchise. The Rays front office opted to trade a pair of starting pitchers and gamble on another set of arms. Did they make the right gambles, and what does it mean for the team going forward?
The Rays Enter the Trade Market
The Rays have a reputation throughout baseball as expert traders. They traded starting pitcher Taj Bradley at the July trade deadline after he posted a 4.61 ERA and a 95-144 K-BB ratio in 111 1/3 innings this season. Bradley had so much initial promise as someone drafted and developed by the organization. However, his struggles, particularly with his command, eventually led to him being demoted to the minor leagues with Tampa Bay just before the trade. The Rays still acquired someone in Griffin Jax, who they were hoping could aid their bullpen.
The second starting pitching trade was probably the most obvious, considering the player’s contract and free agent status. Zack Littell was a pending free agent, and the Rays cashed in by shipping him to the Cincinnati Reds in a trade. Littell was pitching to a 3.58 ERA (4.93 FIP) and a league-leading 26 home runs allowed at the time of the trade.
Rays Traded The Right Starting Pitchers
With the dust settling after the trade deadline, the Rays made the right decisions regarding these pitchers. For starters, the non-contending Minnesota Twins agreed with Tampa Bay that Bradley needed to first spend time in the minor leagues on account of poor performance. He made three starts at the Twins’ Triple-A St. Paul affiliate, and the numbers (7.53 ERA) weren’t particularly scintillating. Bradley was eventually called up on August 24 and turned in a clunker against the Chicago White Sox. In 21 1/3 innings with Minnesota, he has a 6.33 ERA with a 19-7 K-BB ratio.
Littell has transported his mediocre season to Cincinnati. He has set a career high in home runs allowed and has yielded eight so far in Cincy. He has a 4.74 ERA and a 34-8 K-BB ratio in 43 2/3 innings for the Reds in eight games. Littell will be a free agent, so the Rays can re-sign the North Carolina native, but his performance down the stretch isn’t inspiring a ton of enthusiasm.
Rays Have The Right Guys In Their Possession
Meanwhile, Adrian Houser has looked good for the Rays as a solid rotation option in the second half of the season. The numbers may not be particularly attractive (4.67 ERA in eight games), but the club has a solid record when he starts a game. Houser is giving the team length by mostly pitching into the fifth inning during his outings.
Another interesting wrinkle has emerged concerning Taj Bradley and his study habits. Bradley actually publicly admitted to Twins reporters that he had never studied an opposing lineup in his career. The Rays, as an analytics-first organization, must have grown tired of Bradley’s intransigence and figured this was the best opportunity to cut bait. Kudos to the Rays for making a decision that they felt was in their best interest.
Taj Bradley said he studied scouting reports for the first time in his career this week. He allowed one hit and one run in five innings to the Padres.
“I just never did it at all. I was kind of out there blind the whole time.” https://t.co/yo9ItIXsoY
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 31, 2025
The Last Word
It will be interesting to see how aggressively the Rays front office attempts to acquire starting pitching this winter, particularly given the widespread bullpen struggles. The Rays’ rotation actually inspires some confidence heading into next season. Rays fans are excited about the possibility of Ian Seymour in the rotation next summer, given his success this year. There are also other depth options and guys returning from injury. In any event, the club can rest easy knowing that they made the accurate calculations at the trade deadline concerning their starting pitchers.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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